The lifting and transport of goods in loads heavy enough to make manual lifting and loading undesirable has long been an area of innovation. Lifts of many types are commonly and successfully employed to load heavy goods and equipment onto platforms, racks, trailers, and into trucks. The problem with using conventional lifts is that they are not easily adjustable for accommodating differently-sized loads, interfere with loading and unloading heavy loads at loading and unloading areas, and are not constructed to satisfactorily stabilize heavy loads during lifting, loading, and unloading operations. Conventional lifts that support loads from the bottom, such as on lifting platforms, can damage sensitive loads, such as sensitive equipment and fixtures that are prone to damage under their own weight when not supported properly. Conventional lifts that suspend heavy loads during lifting and unloading operations, such as crane lifts and hoists, render the load unstable. Furthermore, the load-supporting assemblies of conventional lifts are often damaged during normal use, which can render them unsafe or inoperable. Unfortunately, replacing the load-supporting assemblies of conventional lifts is difficult, time-consuming, and expensive. Given these and other deficiencies inherent in the art, those of ordinary skill will readily appreciate that continued improvement in the art is evident.